Historic Preservation


“The Chair” is why I don’t blog about archaeology anymore

Since I’m an assistant professor of anthropology, my social media threads are buzzing with conversation about the new Netflix show “The Chair.” Over the past month my friends and family have been asking me things like; Is “The Chair” really what being a professor is like? Is that how academic […]


Cultural resource management without consultation is a mistake 2

I’m not a fortune teller but I’m pretty sure the recent unpleasantness associated with the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) will spawn a number of books and articles about cultural resource management archaeology, historic preservation, and environmental justice. It’s likely a few individuals will generate whole careers based […]


What the NPS junior ranger program can teach CRMers

Who would have ever thought a 5-year-old would be enthusiastic about seeing a pile of rocks in the desert? No toys. No playground. Just an 800-year-old archaeological ruin…and a little sister. This last weekend, I took a National Parks and Monuments tour with my wife and kids through northern Arizona. […]

What can cultural resource management professionals learn from the National Park Service's Junior Ranger Program?

Coming out of my Shell: Lessons learned by doing public archaeology

For a person who is building a career based on the study of human beings, I have to confess: I really don’t like other people. The main problem with other people is they aren’t me. They have their own lives, thoughts, experiences, and perspectives that differ with the way I […]

Public archaeology at Ferry Farm, Fredericksburg, Virginia

The plenitude model is at the heart of historic preservation and it's smart money

Can the Plentitude Business Model save cultural resource management?

Historic preservation-minded developer Bill Naito didn’t just save buildings. He helped create ambiance, character, and augmented the quality of life in downtown Portland, Oregon. During the 1960s, Naito saw potential in the rotting waterfront warehouses. He realized that remodeling these buildings may not immediately improve property values, increase foot traffic, […]


Historic preservation begins at the local level

Historic Preservation Starts with Community

This last weekend, my family and I volunteered at another public archaeology event spearheaded by a prominent Arizona historical society. It was the final field session of the project I discussed in my post that discussed how to involve minorities in archaeology by introducing them to the science at an […]